Future Jeff Gordons are ready to take part in the first
annual 2006 Human League Soap Box Derby.
The event is set for June 24 to 25 and will occur in the
Zellers parking lot at the Southridge Mall.
Registration will take place at 9 am and the racing will
start at 9:30 am sharp.
The derby is for kids aged seven to 12.
By bringing soap box racing to the Nickel City, the Human
League Association hopes it will get kids active in fundraising
events and the importance of making a positive contribution to
society.
"There's so many events for adults and very few events for
children to look forward to each year," said Michael Cullen,
executive director at the Human League. "We thought this would
be the perfect fit and give the kids something really fun to
do."
Cullen has done plenty of leg work to organize the races.
"I took some trips to Peterborough, where they have soap box
races all the time, to get some ideas," said Cullen. "There's
some hard-core racing across Ontario and people travel from all
over to race."
The Sudbury series will be hobby class races designed for
fun.
As of early May, 42 cars had been registered to compete, and
not just from Sudbury.
"One guy from Thessalon is bringing in 10 cars and 10
families," said Cullen. "What's happened is we've become part
of a bigger soap box derby circuit that people travel to race."
Besides bragging rights, kids have a shot at some fabulous
prizes. First place will net the winner a remote controlled
Hummer, trophy and $300.
"I don't know about you, but winning $300 isn't all that bad
for a 10 year old," said Cullen.
Kids across Sudbury and the surrounding area are busy
putting the final touches on their racers.
Nicholas Eyre, 11, spent many hours with his father putting
together a soap box racer from a kit.
He was thrilled when his car "rolled off" the assembly line.
"It was exciting to build," said the youngster. "It was a
good experience too. I learned about axles and how to make the
car go faster. I also got to use my tools."
Nicholas is gunning for the top spot, especially since his
car will stand out.
"We painted my car yellow because it was the brightest
colour," said Nicholas.
Each child will have the opportunity to go down the derby
track twice before actually racing.
When the official races begin, it will be a process of
elimination until there is only one winner.
"We will have a radar gun to see who has the fastest speed,"
said Cullen. "There will be prizes for most decorated car, most
creative, and fan favourite. It's going to be a big deal for
these kids and their parents."
All proceeds raised from the derby go to the Human League
PLAY and Breakfast Club programs.
The Breakfast Club provides nutritious breakfast and snack
programs to 26 schools in Sudbury and surrounding communities.
The PLAY program assists low-income families with the cost of registration fees and equipment for their children to enrol in arts, culture and sports programs.
